“Hey, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash aren’t back yet,” Twilight suddenly remarked.
The other mares in the room came to the same realization. Princess Celestia transformed back into her alicorn form with a burst of golden magic. “We saw them when we found Spike,” she said. “They should be back soon, considering Luna’s turn has ended.”
Just then, the doors to the slumber party room made way. Rainbow Dash’s jaw had dropped, Pinkie Pie was beaming as per usual, and Spike was with them, seemingly upset with having to return to the game.
“H-How ?” Rainbow Dash was in shock. “Pinkie, how could you have possibly known that Luna wasn’t gonna finish her dare?”
Pinkie Pie laughed in triumph. “If we can’t stand it after listening to them bicker every month, then how could Princess Luna stand their arguing?” she asked.
Spike managed to catch Starlight’s attention by crossing his arms. Neither of them said a word.
Somehow, Spike could sense what Starlight was trying to say with her gaze: Did you find her?
No, was what he hoped Starlight could understand.
Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie returned to their spots in the slumber party room. As Rainbow settled herself in, she asked, “So, do we know who’s going next?”
“No,” replied Twilight, readying herself to spin the Wheel of Choice. “But we’re about to.”
As the arrow spun around the wheel, Starlight had to wonder why her friends were continuing the game when one mare was wandering the streets of Ponyville in the night. When Applejack had revealed that Spike was her real crush, Starlight had no idea what to think. The only straight thought she had was I have feelings for Spike.
But then other thoughts started flooding her head faster than she could process them: What does this mean? What about Sunburst? I think I have feelings for him, too, but I also like Spike. I can only choose one, but if I choose Sunburst, I’ll lose Spike to one of my best friends or a dragon he’s making me jealous with. I’m jealous. Am I jealous? I am jealous. Because I have feelings for Spike. Does Spike have any clue what I’m feeling right now? Wait a minute, just because Applejack has a crush on Spike doesn’t mean Spike has a crush on Applejack. But Applejack said she’s been spending time with Spike to help him with his friendship with me, so they definitely would have gotten closer unless AJ was the only one who was picking up something intimate. But wait! What if I choose Spike instead of Sunburst? Then would my friendship with Applejack be really complicated? I don’t want to hurt her, and I feel like friends shouldn’t date other friend’s crushes, but I really like Spike. Is this what the inside of Twilight’s head sounds like? Dear Celestia, my brain feels like it’s about to explode!
“---and Starlight!” Twilight’s voice pierced Starlight’s thoughts.
Starlight shook her head. “Wait, sorry, say that again?” she asked in confusion.
“You will be creating a dare for dear Fluttershy along with Princess Luna and Pinkie Pie,” Twilight explained. “But you don’t have to if you aren’t feeling up to it just yet.”
“No, no, no! I’m alright!” Starlight exclaimed. “I’m fine. Just a little distracted is all.”
Back into her thoughts she went. I gotta focus on all of that later. Right now, Fluttershy needs a dare to do. Nine times out of ten, Fluttershy was unable to complete the dares she was given. Singing in front of a crowd of ponies, watching a scary movie, and ding-dong ditching was out of the question for her. Though Starlight remembered how Fluttershy had gone up against Snips and Snails in a rap battle in front of the attendees of the Star Night Festival, so how Fluttershy refused to sing was beyond Starlight.
Let’s see...Something Fluttershy can complete yet something she wouldn’t be willing to do at first...
An idea popped into her head, inspired by the panicking thoughts that had raced in Starlight’s mind.
“Are you girls ready?” asked Twilight.
“Ready!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.
“I hope you are ready, Fluttershy,” Princess Luna said with a grin.
“Let’s get to it!” Starlight said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
“O-Okay,” Fluttershy mumbled. “Um...Princess Luna?”
“Fluttershy, I dare you to race against Pinkie Pie to Sweet Apple Acres and back!” Luna declared, pointing a hoof to the sky, most likely for dramatic effect.
The Element of Kindness seemed to shrink. “Pinkie Pie?”
“I like Princess Luna’s dare!” Pinkie Pie said. “What say you, Starlight? A Trio Treaty?”
Fluttershy looked at Starlight with desperation in her eyes, begging for something different, something less extreme for her. For the round, Starlight decided Fluttershy needed a break before things got more out of hand.
“Not this round, Pinkie,” Starlight declined. “Fluttershy, I dare you to talk for ten minutes straight.”
The panic in Fluttershy’s eyes simmered down, but it was clear that she was still anxious. “I’ll go with Starlight’s dare,” she said, thankful that there was a better option than having to race Pinkie Pie in the dark.
“But the last time Fluttershy spoke a lot, it was only for a minute!” Rainbow Dash said.
“I want to try,” the Element of Kindness said. “Twilight, set a timer.”
“What are you gonna talk about for ten minutes?” It was Spike’s first sentence since he returned to the game. Starlight nearly flinched at the sound of his voice.
“Um...” Fluttershy didn’t have much to talk about. But when it came to her animals, everything she loved about Ponyville, and all her friends, there was no end to what she could say.
Animals, Ponyville, friends. Fluttershy mentally scanned her brain for as many details, and then some, about all three as possible as Twilight cast a spell.
Four pink numbers appeared above Fluttershy's head: 10:00.
“Just tell me when you’re ready,” Twilight said.
Fluttershy nodded. She inhaled and exhaled slowly seven times, the room quieting down, ready to see if Fluttershy, the quietest of the Elements of Harmony, could complete the dare.
“Ready.” Fluttershy hoped she looked prepared and as confident as possible.
“Ready...” Twilight’s horn started glowing again. “Set...”
“GO!”
“The first animals I ever saw were a flock of birds,” Fluttershy began. “I was flying too low, below the clouds, and as I tried to fly back up to Cloudsdale, I saw a formation of birds flying past me. There were six birds, and they were flying slowly as if they were waiting for something. Rainbow Dash found me and brought me up to Cloudsdale. Before we got back, I caught a glimpse of a seventh bird joining the flock. They began flying faster and it brought a smile to my face. When I came to Ponyville, I learned the birds were called blue jays. From the day I saw the blue jays, I was determined to learn about every animal I found. I visited the Ponyville library daily to look for books about all the creatures that can be found in Equestria. I wrote down whatever I found into a journal. When I filled the first journal, I bought a second one and continued to write about the creatures. I filled several journals, and soon enough, I was able to remember the diet of a sugar glider, the migratory pattern of an eagle, and so much more about animals. Since then, I was offered several jobs as a veterinarian in different cities of Equestria. I couldn’t accept any of them because Ponyville was and is my home. My cottage is also close to the nature that my animal friends live in. And thinking about it now, I won’t be able to move because of all the animals that depend on me. Though maybe someday I’d like to live in the forest surrounded by nature. Maybe for half a year, not too long because I want to check on my friends in Ponyville. Though maybe the animals of Ponyville would go looking for me because they’d miss me. My goodness, I wouldn’t want them to worry about me while I’d be gone! But that’s just an idea. I suppose I could think more about it another day, preferably when I’m thinking straight.
“Speaking of Ponyville, I can’t believe I never told anypony about the day that I arrived in Ponyville.” Fluttershy smiled with a twinge of bittersweetness. “One week after I finished Flight Academy, I told my parents about how I wanted to move to Ponyville to learn more about nature and the animals I could find, the animals that helped me gain my cutie mark. They didn’t want me to leave, especially since I had only graduated the day before. But I told my parents that I had to because there was something on the ground that I was meant to explore and discover. Rainbow Dash even tried to convince me not to, but I had no intention of having anypony stop me. I had a feeling that I belonged in Ponyville. Of course, I love Cloudsdale, but I wanted to live in a town on the earth. If I had given into their wishes, I doubt I would be here. Another week passed. I was all packed up and I had Rainbow Dash help me bring my belongings to Ponyville. The first thing I did was get a hotel room. I didn’t know how long it would be before I had somewhere to call my own. The next thing I did was visit the real estate agency. It’s a small office, but it’s still around today. I explained to one of the agents that I wanted a house that was close to the forest, where I could learn more about the animals. He introduced me to several houses right in the center of Ponyville. After explaining once again that I was looking to live near the wildlife, he told me about a cottage that was run down and had been unused for years. When I saw it, I never noticed the boarded up windows, the broken furniture, or the bad painting job. It was the perfect home for a nature-lover like me! It was just a few feet away from Everfree Forest. The forest was the reason why I hesitated on moving into the cottage. But then I saw several chipmunks searching for food that wasn’t there, and a mocking bird that seemed lost. It was like the last owner of the cottage also loved animals and the animals they left behind stayed in hope that they would return someday. I couldn’t bear to see them like that. I bought the cottage immediately afterward.
“A few days later, I went back to Cloudsdale to ask Rainbow Dash for her help to fix the cottage. She was really reluctant at first. But considering I was her oldest friend, she eventually agreed to come down to Ponyville. The first thing we did was throw out all the old dusty furniture left behind by the last owner. I managed the bits I had, saving the most bits for furniture, then food, and saving the rest for emergencies. But my system was ruined when Rainbow Dash took the wrong bag of bits to the Ponyville market. She spent nearly all of my money on food! I didn’t know what I was going to do. I needed a job, but I was so shy, I had no idea who to go to for work. The next day, I passed by Sugar Cube Corner. Even though my kitchen’s counters were stacked with food, I wanted a treat to cheer me up. Turns out the owners were looking for two new workers to help bake. Up until a year ago, I had no idea why they needed workers. But I applied to work for Mr. and Mrs. Cake the same day. A few days later, they contacted me and asked me to help them out. The other mare who I’d be working with turned out to be Pinkie Pie, who had arrived in Ponyville a month earlier. We became friends after a few days of working together, despite her loud personality and my quiet one. Rainbow and Pinkie met when Rainbow came to visit to tell me about how she wanted to stay nearby Ponyville. They became fast friends and we all spent time together. She even threw us a party to officially welcome us to Ponyville! She’s continued that tradition since then. Eventually, I knew enough about animals to help care for the ones around the cottage and when the word spread, ponies came to me for help with their pets. They paid me for my service, but this took time from my job at Sugar Cube Corner. Eventually, I had to quit my job at Sugar Cube Corner in order to spend time with the animals. We still spent time with Pinkie Pie, and because she hosted parties, she would always invite us to them. We were able to meet more ponies in Ponyville that way. Actually, Pinkie invited us to help prepare for a birthday party at Sweet Apple Acres. I never found out why the birthday pony wanted to have it there, but a mare that worked at Sweet Apple Acres offered to lend a helping hoof. That mare was none other than Applejack. Our three-mare group became a four-mare one. We didn’t meet Rarity until it was announced that Princess Celestia would be coming to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. Rainbow Dash was in charge of clearing the sky, Applejack was in charge of the food, Rarity was in charge of decorations, and I was in charge of music. Three months later, we became friends with Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Being in Ponyville has been life changing for all of us. I don’t know who I would’ve become if I had chosen to stay in Cloudsdale.”
The five-minute mark had passed. Only four minutes and thirty seconds remaining.
There were numerous reactions to Fluttershy’s talking spree. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were staring with pride as if they had prepared Fluttershy for this very occasion. Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia, and Starlight Glimmer were shocked, like the Fluttershy before them was from another world. Twilight, Spike, and Princess Luna were grinning at how well Fluttershy was doing.
“I know I’m very friendly with everypony in Ponyville, but that doesn’t make them my friend. In fact, I think I have less than three dozen friends. Of course, all the animals are my friends, but I’m talking about my pony friends. Though Discord doesn’t count----”
The moment she said his name, Fluttershy could feel her face burn up. She quickly changed the topic to bees, but it was too late. She was beginning to lose focus on her words.
“A-And that’s why bees hibernate in the ground during winter...Wait, t-that’s not it! Um, butterflies! I know a lot about every animal, but I know the most about butterflies!” Fluttershy’s words were all over the place.
Oh, Discord. Fluttershy’s thoughts were wandering to him, and it was going to cause her to fail her dare.
They spent dozens of tea parties together, learning more about each other and growing closer as the weeks passed. Sure, there were moments where Discord seemed over-friendly, bordering on intimate, but Discord wouldn't notice the difference. When Fluttershy thought he was trying to charm her, it always seemed to be her imagination. But everything about him soon became a comforting feeling Fluttershy looked forward to every week...
"----and then there's the morpho butterfly. Discord says he likes them because they're not actually blue. Their wings appear blue because of iridescence----"
His name popped up again and Fluttershy couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth.
"I've wondered about Discord a lot. Where is he from? Who are his parents? Where is his family? Has he ever loved anypony before?"
Nervous glances shot across the room. Luna had no idea if Celestia had a crush on Discord, but considering Celestia had all of a sudden become curious, Luna might have hit the nail on the head. It also got Luna wondering why Fluttershy had suddenly brought up the Lord of Chaos.
"How did he gain his powers? I want to know more about him, even though I already know a lot. I wonder if he gets lonely when he's not with me. But he can summon flying pigs and dancing balloons and whatever he wants, so he's probably having fun all the time wherever he goes."
Oh great, Fluttershy thought bitterly. If my crush on him wasn't obvious before, it is now.
She dared a quick glance at the timer above her. The timer read 2:00.
Two minutes. I got this under control.
"I'm glad I became Discord's first friend. I have Princess Celestia to thank for that."
Celestia and Fluttershy exchanged suspicious glances, tensions rising between them.
"When I reformed him, I knew I had to get him adjusted to everyday life. It took quite a while before I allowed him to do simple tasks." Fluttershy giggled. "It was ridiculous how much time we spent fooling around together! One time, we were working on greetings and farewells, and we ended up riding clouds through a zoo! A few days later, I was telling him about what was considered 'normal' here in Ponyville, and the next thing I know, we're having a picnic with polar bears! But eventually, he fit in as best as he could. Ponies still stare and whisper rude things about him. In fact, I remember how I defended Discord this one time when he was my plus-one to a charity event in Manehattan for an endangered species...Discord and I definitely became closer friends after that. He makes mistakes that he doesn't realize will have consequences. Sometimes, he'll let his chaos get out of hoof. But who hasn't made a mistake before? If there was hope for Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, and the Changelings to be reformed, that means Discord can become better, too. And he's gotten a lot better! Even though he's the only draconequus I know, he's my favorite draconequus."
When Fluttershy finished her sentence, she realized her tongue was dry, her voice becoming hoarse. Fluttershy never remembered a time when she spoke for so long. But she couldn't stop. The timer declared that fourty-five seconds were remaining. She had to keep going.
"There could be a Discord in the other world. I haven't actually given it any thought before. Does he have the same chaotic powers in the other world? Maybe not, since magic was introduced when Sunset Shimmer took Twilight's crown to CHS. Or maybe there always was magic there, and it was just waiting to be awakened. Whatever the case, I hope everyone on the other side is doing well.
"Oh! I just remembered how we first decided to have slumber parties every Saturday." Fluttershy smiled brightly, relieved that she still had something to talk about. "We had just learned that Starlight Glimmer was no longer going to attempt to ruin our lives!"
Starlight cringed at the sentence and the mere thought of who she was before, on one hoof. On the other hoof, it was true, and the only thing she could do now was let go of the past.
"We knew we needed to find a way to celebrate our new friend. But an ordinary party didn't sound special. We wanted something different. That's when Twilight suggested that we have weekly slumber parties. I remember Rarity telling me about Twilight's first sleepover back when we had the library. It wasn't exactly what Twilight had in mind, but it was still a very special sleepover! Her first one was most likely the reason why we started the weekly tradition, and I hope we continue it."
Twenty seconds. Spike and Twilight were grinning madly as the timer continued. Rainbow Dash was flapping her wings nervously.
"Fillies and Spike, thank you all for your patience!" Fluttershy said, standing up. "My turn has officially ended! I'll see you players in ten minutes!"
The timer reached 0:00, and it was soon replaced by pink words that read: TIME UP.
The whole room bursted into applause for Fluttershy, who looked just about ready to faint. Now that this is over with, she thought,I'm going to go treat myself with some water.